Brassiere



May 5, 1959 'B. BAER 2,884,928

BRASSIERE Filed June 2, 1958 INVENTOR I, BERT/1 BAERA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 1 BRASSIERE Berta Baer, Kew Gardens, N.Y., assignor to Poirette goriets, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Application June 2, 1958, Serial No. 739,126

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-475) The present invention relates to a brassiere of the combination type which can be worn both as an ordinary shoulder strap brassiere and by a simple adjustment can be worn as a strapless brassiere such as is usually worn with strapless evening gowns and similar apparel. As used herein, the word brassiere refers to garments of the type conventionall called brassieres as well as to the corresponding portion of a foundation garment or other garment with which the invention can be utilized. In this regard, the term brassiere is generic.

The brassiere of the instant invention includes shoulder straps but these are provided in such manner that they can be readily attached when the use of straps is desired or as readily removed. It will be seen from the disclosure herein that the brassiere is provided with upper portions which are so constructed that they can be folded completely inside the breast cups when the brassiere is used in its strapless form. Means are also provided extending across and adjacent the bottoms of the breast cups through which the upper portions are threaded so as to retain them in position. In the manner in which I have provided the upper portions of the brassiere, undesirable bulges are completely eliminated as well as all indications that the brassiere, when worn as a strapless brassiere, is of a nature that could be converted to a strap type brassiere. This is an important feature since in other attempts to provide combination type brassieres, objectionable bulges and unsightly indications of the nature of the brassiere have been evident. With the particular construction presented herein, the danger of the folded portions of the brassiere becoming visible or bunching up is completely eliminated.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention shown with the straps attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the invention with the brassiere shown in strapless position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a brassiere constructed in accordance with the invention.

The brassiere 10 includes an upper body encircling .band portion 11 of conventional design and adapted to '2 stay in position on the body without requiring shoulder straps or the like. A pair of breast cups 12 are formed in the upper portion of the band 11 and are provided with generally U-shaped metallic stays 13 secured in underlying relation thereto.

The breast cups 12 are outwardly and upwardly curved and include a lower portion 14 which terminates on a transverse line 15 which substantially coincides with the nipple line of the breast supported in the breast cup 12. An upper portion 16 is secured to the lower portion 14 zfilong the line 15 and curves upwardly and inwardly thererom.

The lower portion 14 of the breast cup 12 includes an outer panel 17 and a lining panel 18 secured thereto.

An auxiliary panel 19 is secured to the breast cup 12 along the line 15 connecting the lower portion 14 to the upper portion 16 thereof. The auxiliary panel 19 is shaped to fold downwardly to the position illustrated in Figure 3 in contact with the lining panel 18 so as to be positioned completely beneath the breasts supported in the breast cup 12. The auxiliary panel 19 may also be raised to the dotted line position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and to the fold line position illustrated in Figure 1 in contact with the upper portion 16 of the breast cup 12 completely overlying the breasts supported in the breast cup 12.

A tape 20 extends horizontally adjacent to and beneath each breast cup 12 and has its opposite ends secure at 21 to the band 11, as best seen in Figure 2. The tape 20 is free intermediate the opposite ends thereof and the free end of the auxiliary panel 19 is engaged therebeneath to assist in holding the auxiliary panel 19 in its folded position.

The auxiliary panel 19 has secured thereto a cloth loop 22 at the center of the free edge thereof to receive a buckle 23 connecting a shoulder strap 24 to the free edge1 of the auxiliary panel 19, as best illustrated in Figure The brassiere 10 can be worn as a strap type brassiere by having the auxiliary panels 19 in their uppermost position with the shoulder straps 24 connected thereto by the buckles 23. When it is desired to wear the brassiere 10 with strapless dresses, the buckles 23 are removed from the loops 22 thus disconnecting the shoulder straps 24, and the auxiliary panels 19 are folded to the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, completely underlying the breasts supported in the breast cup 12 with the free end portion of the auxiliary panel 19 engaged under the tape 20 securing the auxiliary panel 19 in its folded position.

It should be noted that the connection of the auxiliary panel 19 to the breast cup 12 along the line 15 permits the auxiliary panel 19 to be folded into engagement with the lower portion 14 of the breast cup 12 without wrinkling, bulging, or bunching of the material and at the same time to extend smoothly upwardly therefrom when used as a strap type brassiere.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A brassiere comprising a body encircling band, a

band; a pair of generally U-shaped support members secured to said band and respectively underlying said breast cups, said breast cups being formed of upper and lower portions secured together along a transverse line coinciding substantially with the nipple line of the breast adapted to be supported in said breast cup, an auxiliary cupshaped panel secured to said breast cup along the transverse line connecting the upper and lower portions thereof, said auxiliary cup-shaped panel being selectively 10 positioned to extend upwardly from said transverse line and folded to extend downwardly from said transverse -line, saidauxiliary panel.v whenufolded to extend down- .z ssaeas a r wardly being "completely "below "said 'tr'ansvers'edine -in contact with the inner surface of the lower portion of said breast cup.

2. A device as claimed'in claim 1 wherein means are provided on said band for detachably securing said auxiliary panel thereto with said auxiliary panel in folded posiition extending downwardly from said transverse line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

